Gundam Seed: Twilight
by Keyblade Master of Promise
Summary: This is after the 2nd Bloody Valentine War. Kira is now has his own family...but now has to protect everything he loves...AGAIN from the danger that looms in the horizon. Of course, his friends will be there to help...but can they make it?
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: Hello there, I just felt the strangest urge to write a Gundam Seed story, so here it is. I DON'T own Gundam Seed or anything affiliated with it, however, I do own this story, please don't use it. Now enjoy: (oh, and FullNarnian, sorry about not running this by you...couldn't get the stupid thing to past on my e-mail...I would have if I could...sorry).

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Kira Yamato stood on the balcony of his house, watching the sky. It was almost dawn; the sun hadn't com up yet. It had been a few years since the end of the war, but he didn't feel right about it…almost as if there were something sinister looming in the horizon. He couldn't be happier right now though, he had a family now…he was a proud husband and father. His wife, Lacus, had just had their first son, Kazuki almost two months ago, around a year and a half after they married. They named him Kazuki because it meant "pleasant peace" or "first of a new generation", which indeed he was of the first generation in this era of peace. He was a beautiful baby boy, he had rich brown hair with red streaks here and there (likely from his mother's pink hair, it just darkened to red because of Kira's dark brown hair), his mother's crystal blue eyes, and he was a coordinator without a doubt, because they both were coordinators.

"This is a beautiful day, everything is perfect…_sigh_…almost too perfect." He said to himself, continuing to look at the sky, the sun was coming up on the horizon. He didn't **want** another war, and he was glad that there was peace, but his warrior instincts couldn't help but feel that he hadn't seen the last of fighting…which made him feel down, he didn't want to have to kill again, that was what he hated most about war. His thoughts were interrupted though by light footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around and saw his wife standing close behind him, carrying their sleeping son. "Good morning you two, how are you?" Kira whispered as he pulled his wife into a hug and gave her a kiss.

"Good morning, we're fine, just making sure I'm ready to go when he wakes up." Lacus replied when they pulled apart, gently rocking Kazuki back and forth. She then looked at Kira with a little concern in her eyes, she could tell he had something on his mind, and asked, "What about you? Are you alright? You seem worried about something."

"Oh, no, I'm fine…just thinking about this peace and how I don't want it to end …that's all." Kira replied, looking down with a little concern.

"Is that all? I understand…I don't want it to end either…but we shouldn't worry too much, Earth and the colonies are on good terms right now, I don't see war breaking out again between the two any time soon." His wife assured him as she leaned up against him.

"Yeah…you're right. No reason to worry, it's probably just the warrior side of my personality being cautious, ha-ha-ha." He laughed as they went back into the house. They went through their usual morning routine, Lacus made breakfast while Kira began to feed Kazuki because he had woken up not long after they entered the house. As he cradled his son in his arms placing a bottle in his son's mouth, he looked around his house, observing the several medals he had earned during the war. He was proud of them…but they all had a bitter memory that came with that pride, most of those medals came at the expense of lives he didn't want to end…but it was necessary to protect his friends, their future, and himself…and if it meant everyone he cared for would be safe, then he'd kill any foe without question, and that's why he was proud of them-it showed he cared enough about his family and friends enough to risk his life. He then turned to his uniform, folded nicely in a glass case. It was white with military decorations on it; he was a high ranking captain of the new ZAFT army, despite being only twenty years old, he had even been offered the rank of Admiral due to his military prowess, but he kindly refused so he could be with his family as much as he could. He requested to be listed as a "captain on inactive duty" for now though, he was always ready to go back to fight should he need too, despite how he felt about war, he felt it was necessary in order to protect everyone he loved and cared for.

His thoughts were interrupted as the head butler of the house, Yori came in and politely announced, "Master Yamato, you have a video call waiting for you on line one…he says he's 'an old friend of yours', a Mr. 'Mu La Flaga', I believe he said was his name. Should I tell him to call back later, being as you're tending to the little master, sir?" When the two heard "Mu La Flaga", they looked at each other with shock, they hadn't heard from him in a while (not that they worried about it, he was just busy as of late, and they understood, he was also a high ranking captain).

Kira quickly looked back at the butler and replied, "No, no, it's alright, I'll speak with him, inform Mr. Flaga I'll be right with him. Thank you, Yori." With that, Yori bowed and left the kitchen to perform the task. Kira stood up and walked over to the video conference room while carrying Kazuki. He sat down on the couch and the video screen came on, revealing the face of his friend.

"Good morning, Kira…hey, what's that little bundle you have in your…oh…no way, who'd have thought? Congratulations!!! What's your baby's name?" He said in shock, he was glad, but it didn't expect for Kira and Lacus to have a baby this soon, no one really did, what with the war only ending not too long ago.

"Oh, thank you Mu, his name is Kazuki. How are you, bud?" Kira replied with a big smile on his face.

"Oh just great, I finished up patrolling the outer colonies, so far it has been very quiet. Except for earlier today…we found something…and it isn't good…" Mu replied, his face was dead serious, something had happened.

"What was it, Mu?" Kira asked with a serious tone, catching on the tense Mu.

A/N: What did Mu find? What ever it is, be certain it isn't good. Please RnR!!!!! D


	2. Chapter 2: The Sky Darkens

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, ect. However I do own this story, so please don't use it. Now, please enjoy and RnR:

Chapter 2: The Sky Darkens

"What was it, Mu? What did you find?" Kira asked in a serious tone, he knew that his friend was dead serious when he said it wasn't good.

Mu just looked back at Kira with a sullen look and answered, "We found several destroyed mobile suits, from both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance…they were all destroyed, we only found one alive…right now he's in med-lab, but he's unconscious as of now."

"Were they fighting each other?" Kira questioned, he was shocked to hear about this, and apparently Kazuki sensed his father's stress and began to cry. Kira quickly gave his attention back to his son and calmed him down by rocking him gently back and forth. He then looked back at Mu, waiting for an answer.

"No…I don't think so, judging from what I saw, they looked like they were patrolling and crossed paths. Then something **else** attacked them, and whatever it was, it was either fast or strong, because the mobile suits had almost all of their ammo. Many didn't even have a single shot fired…it was scary seeing the remains of the conflict, most of the suits were intact, all the cockpits were destroyed though, all except for the one of the survivor we found. It was odd. Who would aim solely for the cockpits?" Mu answered with a puzzled look on his face as he rubbed his hand through his blonde hair.

"Someone with the **intention** of killing…that's who…" Kira whispered to himself.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Mu asked, he noticed that Kira seemed distracted.

"Whoever it was needs to be stopped, before someone else ends up like this." Kira said with a solid, resolved tone.

"Whoa there, hot-shot! You're still on relief…you enjoy it. Don't worry, I'll find out who it was...besides, Shinn's with me piloting the Destiny, and I have the Akatsuki. I think we can handle it." Mu assured his friend.

"Alright…but promise that you'll let me know as soon as you need my help, alright?" Kira asked, he was worried for his friends.

"Okay, if you insist, I promise. You be sure to relax, bud. I'll let you know when we learn anything. See you later." Mu said as Kira waved good-bye to him. Kira stood up and went back to the kitchen.

"What did Mu want, Kira?" Lacus asked, she could tell Kira was upset about something; she walked over and took their son from his arms so he could sit down and think.

"He said they found several destroyed mobile suits near the outer PLANTs, both ZAFT and Earth Alliance…only one pilot was alive." Kira told her, he was disturbed by this fact.

"Were they fighting one another?" She gasped, quietly though, she didn't want to upset the baby.

"He didn't think so…the debris says otherwise, from what he can tell." He calmly answered back.

"What are they doing about it…do they want you up there with them?" His wife asked, worried now, she didn't like it at all when he had to fight.

"No, no, Mu told me to stay here, and that he and Shinn would look into it. He told me to stay here and enjoy my time of relief. So I will…but I made him promise to let me know when he needed my help." Kira replied, clenching his fist, he really didn't like the idea of his friends out there in potential danger…but it couldn't be helped, he knew that.

"I see that's good…but like Mu said, I'm sure he's alright. Don't worry, they'll be fine. Just relax for now." Lacus said as she sat down and leaned against his shoulder.

"You're right...thanks, hon. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes, ha-ha-ha..." Kira laughed as he leaned over and gave his wife a kiss.

_In the outer PLANTs/Colonies:_

"Hey, Mu…how's the pilot?" Shinn asked as he walked up to his captain.

"He's stable now…we just have to wait for him to wake up. Then we can find out what happened." Mu replied, looking through the ER door's window.

"Did you get a hold of Kira?" The black haired teen questioned.

"Oh yeah, I told him we'd keep him posted on this. I promised him we'd also let him know if we needed his help…we might actually need it, so I didn't see it a problem. He's on relief though, so I told him to stay home for now." The blonde man replied, rubbing his chin in thought. "He and Lacus have a son now. I was shocked." He continued, he was in deep thought, likely about his own wife, Murrue at home.

"Ha-ha, no kidding? Wow…so soon? Anyway, I went ahead and notified Athrun of the recent turn of events like you had asked. He said he'll head here as soon as he can…but that could be a while, being as he's dealing with a few formal Orb political transactions with Miss Cagalli that involve the military." Shinn notified Mu, who shook his head in understanding.

"I see…well that'll be good. He and Infinite Justice will be of great help out here when we go looking for the person that killed those pilots…" Mu replied in very deep thought. Athrun was indeed a good pilot; almost as good as Kira…his help would defiantly be welcomed.

"Hey, he's coming too!!!" A nurse yelled as she burst through the ER door.

"Really, can we talk to him?" Shinn asked urgently. "It's very important that we do." He finished, his red eyes shimmered with hope, _"Maybe we can find out what happened out there…"_ He thought to himself.

"I'll ask him, he seems stable, but after what he might have gone through, who knows?" The nurse replied, turning around and reentering the room. After a few seconds the nurse came back out. "He'll see you, try not to make it too long though, he's very tired and kind of out of it, if you know what I mean." She told the two soldiers.

"Thanks, don't worry, we'll only be a few minutes. Standard Intel questioning is all." Mu assured the nurse as he and Shinn walked in the room.

A/N: Who was it that attacked the mobile suits? What will the pilot reveal now that he's awake? Will Mu and Shinn be enough for whatever is waiting for them in the darkness that is obviously ahead? Find out, please RnR ;-P


	3. Chapter 3: A Looming Shadow

Disclaimer: I am soo sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'll try and be better about that. Anyway, I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny or anything involved with it. This story is mine though, so please do enjoy.

Chapter 3: A Looming Shadow

Mu and Shinn walked into the room where the soldier was recovering. He had an IV in him and appeared to be very shaken up.

"Captain La Flaga, FAITH Officer Asuka!" The soldier exclaimed as he weakly saluted the men entering the room. They returned the salute and pulled up some chairs. The man before them was around Shinn's age, with blonde hair and somewhat of a scruffy beard. One could assume he had been on patrol for a while because he hadn't shaved.

"Alright, now first of all, how are you feeling? We don't want to be asking you tough questions if you aren't ready for it." Mu asked as he placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder.

"I'm shaken up sir, I…thank you for your kindness. I'll be more than willing to answer your questions though, sirs." The man replied.

_Good…hope he's actually up to it though…_Mu thought to himself.

"Alright, what's your name?" Shinn asked, realizing that they hadn't learned of it yet.

"I am Ensign Joel Connors of the EA 109th mobile suit division, sir." Joel answered quickly. He must have been drilled to reply like that from his superior officers.

"Okay, so you're from the Earth Alliance…now did you meet with ZAFT military units?" Mu questioned, he had to be formal with this, and every bit of info was needed.

"Yes sir, we did."

"Right, did you engage the ZAFT units?"

"No, sir..."

"Good, now do remember what attacked you?"

"No, sir…all I remember is being hit, then watching the others go down, ZAFT and EA units alike, I was so scared…I played dead being as my mobile suit was no longer operational, I did what I was trained to do and cut the power to imitate a ruined mobile suit. I eventually passed out after that due to fatigue…before that I had heard the thrusters of the guy who attack us as he left though…I didn't get a visual without my monitors, unfortunately. Sorry Captain…"

"It's alright Joel, it's not your fault…wait, there was only one?" Mu was shocked…there were at least a dozen mobile suits a piece on either side and he spoke as if there was only one mobile suit had attacked.

"From what I could tell, yes…I only heard the engine of one mobile suit, that doesn't mean that there was only one, but I figure that's the case because if they attacked together, our radar would have picked them up, and they would have traveled off in the same direction." Joel answered.

"I see, thank you Ensign Connors for your time. Get some rest and well try and get you some relief time." Shinn commented as he stood up, Mu followed suit, the soldier saluted the officers again who returned it and left the room.

"So…what do you make of it?" Shinn asked, he was puzzled by all this.

"I don't know…it appears to have been one mobile suit like he said. But…the only one's capable of taking out several mobile suits without them even having the chance to shoot back are the Infinite Justice…and Strike Freedom Gundams, and that's only when they're piloted by Athrun and Kira. I hope that we're ready for whoever it is…" The blonde captain replied as he ran his hand through his hair.

_Back at Kira and Lacus' home PLANT:_

The Yamato family went to the mall for the afternoon. Kira felt it would be nice for Lacus and Kazuki to get out being it was Lacus' first time since she gave birth and Kazuki's first time ever (not that he would have remembered it). They walked around, Kazuki was in his stroller which Kira pushed because he wanted his wife to relax while she was here. It didn't work too well though.

"Kira, I can push him, I'll be more than happy too." Lacus tried to assure her husband, who just kindly laughed in response.

"I can push him too; you just relax and shop away. This is your day, hon."

"Alright, if you insist, I won't bug you about it, te-he." She giggled, she was happy that she had a man like Kira for a husband, so kind and dashing. They walked around for a while and after a few hours, Kira happened to look down one of the aisles and noticed a young man wearing a red uniform, the young man appeared to be looking at some novelty items.

"Hmm…I wonder what a ZAFT soldier is doing here." Kira thought out loud.

"What? Oh, do you want to talk to him, dear?" his wife asked as she turned to notice the same soldier.

"If you don't mind, Lacus..." he answered back, he cared for soldiers and wanted to see how they were doing.

"Oh no, go ahead. I'll be right here with Kazuki looking at some new baby toys. Isn't that right, sweet pea?" Lacus laughed as she began to entertain her son with some nearby toys. Kira gave a smile of gratitude and walked casually towards the soldier.

He stood behind the soldier, "Good morning."

"Good mor…oh, Captain Yamato! G-good morning sir, pardon me for not recognizing you sooner." The young man replied as he quickly stood up and gave a salute. He had brown hair much like his own, but had grey eyes as opposed to violet. He was a little younger, probably 17. Kira blushed out of embarrassment, he was never one who liked being held in a high position, but he returned the salute.

"At ease, soldier. Heh, there's really no need to be formal with me today, I'm off duty, so please, call me Kira right now." He stated, he was trying to be more…approachable to his "inferiors" (he never did refer to them as that…he didn't like that term).

"With all due respect, sir…er…Kira. I was just showing my gratitude and respect. You have saved the lives of countless people, on both sides. No man holds more of my respect than you, sir." The young man replied as he relaxed his posture to a more informal stance.

"Ah, I see. Thank you…um…why, I don't believe I got you name." Kira pointed out, he never noticed because he had gotten caught up in the fact that he was recognized formally by the soldier.

"I'm Hojiro, Hojiro Natsuka. It's an honor and a pleasure to meet you." The young man answered as he offered his hand for a handshake.

"Likewise, hmm…you appear to have not enjoyed fighting during the war. That's good." Kira stated as he returned the handshake.

"Thank you sir, but…how could you tell?"

"Oh, it was the fact that you respected me for limiting casualties on both sides during the war. That's a unique attitude even now…most people are still a little cold towards the other."

"Ah, I see. You're right…you know, even during the war. I never hated the Earth Alliance, even after they launched nukes. The reason was because I knew that not **all** people who lived in the Earth Alliance were responsible for launching them…just the leaders. There were also people who didn't want to fight on both sides, innocents, and those who were fighting were only fighting because they believed in their cause, there is no real crime in that." He answered, he was sincere and honest.

"You're right…if only there were more men like you during those troublesome times…we wouldn't have fought for so long, if at all." Kira sighed in relief, he liked what he heard.

"Thank you, Kira. Oh, it's about time for me to head back to my barracks. I'm on relief, but I still have a curfew, and in the morning too, heh, go figure. It was nice talking with you sir." Hojiro beamed as he left, he actually talked to _the_ Kira Yamato, his role model.

"You're welcome, well get going, hope to see you again 'cause it sure was nice talking with you too." He waved as the young man made his way to the exit of the mall. He then made his way back to his wife and son.

"So…who was he?" Lacus asked, he could tell Kira had enjoyed the conversation because he had a distinct look of thrill on his face.

"That was Hojiro Natsuka, a soldier not so different from myself." He answered with a tone that agreed with his facial expression.

"So, he's like you in the fact that he doesn't enjoy fighting others?" Lacus inquired as she picked up Kazuki from his stroller, it was time for his nap, so she rocked him back and forth while softly humming a lullaby. She still had her attention on Kira so he could continue the conversation.

"Yeah, I truly enjoyed talking with him. It was a spirit lifter." He calmly answered as he ran his hand over his son's head.

"I see, that's good…you needed that, I think." His wife whispered in tune with the song. Just then Kira's cell-phone rang, the caller I.D. said it was from home, so it was likely Yori.

He answered, "Kira Yamato."

"Master Yamato, you just received a call from Mr. La Flaga again, he said it was urgent, but you weren't home. He said to call back as soon as you could." Yori calmly stated, he knew whatever it was…it was important.

"Alright, we're on our way. Thank you Yori." Kira finished as he hung the phone up. He looked at his wife who knew from the look on his face that he needed to get home and shook her head in understanding.

A/N: What will Mu tell Kira? How will he react? Who was the mobile suit that attacked? Find out.


	4. Chapter 4: A Dark Revalation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny, but I do own this story, so please don't use it. Now, please do enjoy and RnR:

Chapter 4: A Dark Revelation

Kira and his family left the mall and made it home as soon as they could. They calmly rushed into the house and saw Yori standing in the entrance waiting to greet them.

"Good to see you home, Sir, Madame, little Master. Now, please Master Yamato, if we may make our way to the conference room?" The grey-haired butler very formally and politely asked.

"Right…" The young man answered as they proceeded down the hall. Lacus took Kazuki and headed towards the kitchen, likely to prepare lunch for both of them and Kira. "Now, Yori, did Mr. La Flaga happen to mention the nature of his call?" Kira asked as they came up to the room.

"No sir, he just said that he needed to speak with you as soon as possible. I will call him up for you sir." Yori replied as he gave a courteous bow and left the room.

"Thank you, Yori. I appreciate it." Kira thanked the man as he pulled up a chair…it was likely going to be a long conversation. Within a few seconds the screen in the front of the room reflected a blue light, signifying that a call was being made. Then an audible ring echoed through the room, the screen then went white then grained into an image of Mu La Flaga. "Mu?" Kira opened.

"Kira? Oh thank goodness. I was wondering when you'd call back!" Mu exclaimed with a distinct sense of irritation. This was likely because he was working on a tight clock, he meant no harm to Kira, and he knew that.

"What's wrong, Mu? Did you find something again?" The young pilot asked his friend, who nodded.

"We managed to speak with the surviving pilot. He was an Ensign from the Earth Alliance by the name of Joel Connors." The slightly older man replied.

"Is he alright?" Kira asked sincerely, information was to him secondary to a man's life, it always was, and always would be.

"Yeah, he'll live. He just passed out is all. He'll probably be out by tomorrow." Mu replied, he was relieved himself about that fact.

"Good, what did you find out from him?" Kira continued.

"Well…we found out that they were likely attacked by one mobile suit."

"What? Only one? But…"

"I know, I know, it shocked me as well, only you and Athrun are capable of taking out so many mobile suits."

"Then we can assume that whoever this person is, that they are good, if not great…" Kira mumbled to himself, Mu had heard him though.

"Yeah…we've sure got our work cut out for us…" Mu commented, he knew that fighting someone who fought with the same caliber as Kira or Athrun was hard, and they aimed to disable the enemy, this guy appeared to kill without thought.

"Do you need my help?" Kira asked as he stood up, he was serious.

"Well…we…will leave that up to you this time. We should be fine, but if you want to come, that will be fine too, I won't stop you. Athrun will be coming soon as well." His friend answered, he didn't really want Kira to come, but he knew his help would be needed.

"Alright, hopefully we'll be able to get to the bottom of this."

"Yeah…whoever is responsible must be stopped."

"Alright, see you in a few days, Mu." Kira said as he waved good bye.

"Okay, see you then." Mu waved back and the screen went black. Kira slowly turned to leave the room; this was likely going to be a long day. He entered the kitchen, where his wife was busy making lunch. She turned to face him and noticed that he was "off".

"Kira, are you alright? What did he want?" Lacus was concerned when she saw her husband walk into the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine…it's just I feel they need me up there. Those mobile suits were apparently attacked by only one person. So I intend on going to help them." Kira answered calmly, he looked down with hurt though…he'd prefer not to leave home, if it could be avoided.

Lacus lifted his head to face her, "Kira, if you feel that your friends need you, who am I to stop you from following your heart? Kira looked straight into her eyes, they were serious. There was also a deep calm and understanding within those crystal blue eyes he loved so much.

He pulled Lacus into a hug and kissed her passionately. When they pulled apart his violet eyes met hers again, "Lacus, no one has more sway over my decisions than you do. My heart's desire is to be with you always…never to leave your side. You are my wife, who I have vowed to love, cherish, and protect for as long as I live. To follow my heart would mean nothing to me if you were not in my life. I will stay if you want me too, just say the word."

Lacus' eyes began to well up with tears, she always knew Kira loved her, but she had never heard him speak to her with such kindness and passion for a while…not that he ever spoke mean to her, its just that this was a different side to her husband, one that only came out when lives were at stake.

She gave him a quick kiss and said, "Kira, my heart's desire is for you to follow your heart. After all, if you hadn't followed it in the first place…we might not be married right now; in fact, we might not have even met. If your heart says to help your friends, I will support your decision all the way as a wife should. Just promise you'll come back to me safely like you always have."

Kira pulled Lacus into a hug, resting her head on his chest, running his hand through her sakura-blossom colored hair. "I promise, Lacus, I promise. Thank you."

With the decision made, Kira called up the military facility and told them that he would like to momentarily go back on active duty do to "circumstances that have caught his attention" and also asked that his mobile suit be prepared for space flight and combat. The base quickly began the procedures by readying the paperwork and started maintenance check on the young captain's mobile suit, the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom as he had requested. Soon his new adventure, and possibly conflict, will begin.

A/N: Are Kira and his friends ready for what they might face? Find out...please RnR!


	5. Chapter 5: To Be a Soldier Again

Disclaimer: Hey all, I'm back and very glad to be. I am soooooo sorry for this being late, but I was grounded for a little while, plus my internet died on me but is back so here I am, I hope to have a storm of updates. Anyway, on with the disclaimer-I don't own Gundam Seed (or GS Destiny), nor the characters affiliated with it, however this story is my idea, so please don't use it. I hope I haven't lost your attention for this story, PLEASE review, even flames are welcome, just RnR...please? Thank you for your patience...now please do enjoy-

Chapter 5: To Be a Soldier Again

It would be two days before Kira was put back on active duty and the time that everything was done between maintenance on the Strike Freedom and the paperwork. During that time Kira and his family spent a lot of quality time together. They went on a picnic the day after he made the request and after that he and Lacus went to see a movie that they both wanted to watch while Yori looked after their son. When they came back he spent a good deal of time playing with Kazuki together. He was really going to miss his family while he was away so he wanted to make the most of the time he had before he left.

Later that night, after several hours of playing, cooing, and cuddling with their son, he gave a very big yawn. Kira understood this and carried his very sleepy son quietly up the stairs to the child's bedroom (which was actually a walk off from theirs-the master bedroom) and tucked his son in. He was awed by how peaceful his child looked as he slept…this was the one other thing, besides Lacus, that could bring a truly serene smile from his face and was all the reward he needed for fighting…he needed no medals, nor fame, heck, he didn't even need a pat on the back…these all were insignificant to the fact that his family could sleep peacefully without fear of something terrible happening to them. He sighed a thankful sigh as he ran his hand through his son's hair.

"Sleep well, Kazuki-kun, may you continue to live in peace." He whispered as he gave a gentle, fatherly kiss on the boy's forehead. With that he quietly left and walked back down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. He then proceeded to warm himself up a cup of hot-chocolate because it helped him relax his war-scarred mind so he could sleep well and peacefully at night. As he watched the microwave do its work, he heard his wife walk in behind him. She gave him a hug from behind, arms wrapped around his diaphragm, this was her way of showing she was concerned and just wanted his attention…so he turned around and gave her a soft kiss and a hug. They just stood in a silent embrace for the longest time, neither one moving because they were soaking in the moment…this would likely be the last "alone" moment they would have before Kira left. The only noise being made was the microwave as it continued to warm the drink.

Finally Kira broke the silence, "I miss you already, Lacus."

"I miss you too, Kira…but I know you'll be alright. I just know deep down inside me. My heart tells me so." His wife assured her husband.

"Same here…I'll come back soon. After all, it will be our anniversary two months from tomorrow, right? I have to make it back in time for that."

"You're right…but don't push yourself too hard, we can always celebrate it when you get back if you don't make it in time."

"No, that won't do, angel. It's only proper if it is celebrated on the actual date…so I promise I'll be back in time."

"Alright, just be careful, Kira, please?"

"I promise I'll be careful." He finished and not two seconds afterwards the microwave beeped, signifying that the hot-chocolate was ready. "Well, we'd better make our way to bed, hon…or at least I had better. I have to be up and out of here early in the morning if I am going to make it in good time." He added as he pulled his drink from the microwave, blew on it, and took a sip, being careful not to burn himself.

"I'll join you…after all; it will be a while before I feel the comfort of you next to me while I sleep again. So I'll take in every second tonight. Besides, I'm tired anyway." Lacus commented as she wrapped her arms around her husband's left arm (the one unoccupied by a hot beverage) and let out a dainty yawn, confirming her statement.

"I'll miss the feeling of you next to me as well, Lacus. Heh…it looks like I'll have to drink a **lot** of hot-chocolate while I'm away." Kira laughed as he moved his left hand to lace his fingers with his wife's own. After that they walked up the stairs and went to bed, they slept snuggled very closely to one another that night. They slept straight through that peaceful night until 5 am, when their alarm clock went off. Kira woke up…the night didn't last nearly long enough. It was now time for him to get ready.

He leaned over to the clock and pressed the "off" button then proceeded to get all the way out of bed. He walked over to where his captain's uniform was hanging, he had pulled it out of its case to iron it and prepare it for returning to duty. He ran his hand down the sleeve and sighed.

"Well, hope I'm ready." He mumbled to himself as he proceeded downstairs. He began to fix himself breakfast, nothing too fancy really, just some pancakes. Little did he know that his wife had woken up as well. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen, where her husband was quietly fixing his breakfast.

"What are you doing?" She asked, to which Kira replied with a quick jerk of shock, almost spilling the batter on the floor, but his reflexes saved it in the nick of time.

"Um…making myself something to eat before I go…do you want some?" He asked after he regained his composure.

"Yes…but please, sit down, let me…I'll fix both of us some. You need to relax before you go. I don't mind." She smiled caringly as she gently nudged Kira aside and took the pan from him. He began to protest, but held his tongue because Lacus looked at him with a gaze that appeared to say "I'm alright, please relax" (plus he remembered the fact that she made better pancakes). He sat down and the two enjoyed a peaceful breakfast together. After breakfast, Kira made his way back up to their bedroom, cleaned himself up, and put on his uniform. He then looked at the clock: 6:15…almost time to go. He made his way to Kazuki's room and gently picked him up, holding him close to his body. He then carried him back down stairs to the kitchen, where Lacus was putting away the cooking items they had used to make breakfast.

He softly tapped her shoulder to get her attention and when she gave it she pulled her into a kiss with his free arm. When they pulled apart, he whispered, "I'd better get going. I'll give you a call when I make it to the ship they stationed me on. I love you."

"I love you to, Kira. Be safe." She answered back as she took their son from Kira's arms.

"I promise…I'll be back, don't worry. I'll keep my promise to be back for our anniversary." Kira waved good-bye as he opened the door and left. He drove his way to the military complex nearby, where everyone was waiting. As he got out of his vehicle all the soldiers nearby gave a salute, which he solemnly returned and made his way to the large building. He needn't worry about returning the car home because there was another one at home, plus a few drivers to take Lacus just about anywhere she wanted to go, where it was for a concert or just plain joyriding. He walked to the front desk, "Captain Yamato, reporting."

"Good morning sir, we have your papers right here, and the Strike Freedom is waiting for you in hangar 'C' when you are ready." The secretary greeted him as she saluted and handed him his active duty papers.

"Thank you." He returned the salute as he took the papers and made his way to the hangar. When he entered through the entry door, he was greeted by the large body of his mobile suit, inert and quiet. He felt it was looking right at him though, as if it was patiently awaiting its pilot's return. He had a special bond with this mobile suit…he viewed it not as a weapon to destroy, but as a shield to protect those he cared for and himself from harm…if a definition for the word "friend" meant someone/thing that one with through trials with, then he and this mobile suit were very good friends. He looked at it for a few more minutes and noticed a familiar face approaching him.

"Captain Yamato, Special ZAFT Forces Natsuka reporting for duty, sir!" Hojiro exclaimed as he saluted his superior officer, he was in his space flight attire. Kira once again was embarrassed, but returned the salute, remembering that he was now active again.

"At ease, Mr. Natsuka. Now, could please you point me to the locker room?" The captain questioned, it had been a while since he had been in this particular facility.

"To your right, sir. You'll find that your flight suit is in locker twenty-two. Along with a pistol and some ammo."

"Thank you…but, why are you dressed for space?"

"Sir, I am going to be your escort to your ship and will merge with your unit when we arrive. I will be piloting that special GuAIZ over there." The soldier pointed to one of the other mobile suits in the hangar, it was definately a GuAIZ, but it was blue and appeared to have ports for attaching various things on its shoulders, perhaps cannons of some sort, from what Kira could tell.

"Alright, as you were." Kira commanded as he walked off to the hanger. He quickly put on his space suit and made his way back to the Strike Freedom. He got in and booted up the systems. Everything was running perfectly. The mobile suit's intercom beeped and revealed the face of Hojiro, and judging by the background, he was obviously in his GuAIZ.

"Captain, I'm ready to launch when you are. We'll rendezvous with your new ship, the _Excalibur_ at the coordinates marked on your HUD."

"Alright, thank you, Hojiro. We're ready to go, please open the launch doors." He confirmed his command by activating the phase-shift armor, signifying that everything was running and ready to go. Not long after, the doors opened, revealing a sky that was beginning to show the first rays of dawn.

"_The sky...is beautiful_. Kira Yamato, Strike Freedom, LAUNCH!" With a motion that was all too familiar to him, he activated the thrusters and began to make his way to the Excalibur.

"Hojiro Natsuka, GuAIZ, LAUNCH!" His escort followed suit. They were on their way.

A/N: Thank you all for reading, now...what is waiting for Kira and Hojiro when they arrive at Mu's base of opperations? Find out. Please RnR...


	6. Chapter 6: Ready for Action

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or GSD, however this story is my idea, so don't use it. Also, this will be my last update for this story BEFORE I GO ON VACATION (which is this coming week), when I get back I'll be updating again, so don't worry. Anyway, see you all then, don't forget to RnR, and enjoy:

Chapter 6: Ready for Action

_61 days, 15 hours till "deadline"_

The trip from the PLANT base and the _Excalibur_ was going to take a little while, about four hours, to be precise. After they made out of the colony's protective barrier, Kira put the Strike Freedom on autopilot and relaxed a little bit, he still kept his wits about him though, because even here, a couple thousand miles away from Mu's base of operation, (which was a remote observation facility near the last few PLANTs in outer orbit), they could be attacked by this mysterious pilot.

"Captain, permission to speak?" His monitor revealed the face of his escort, Hojiro.

"Permission granted…but you really don't have to ask for things like that, unless other officers are around and I'm talking with them…you can be open with me." Kira assured the younger pilot.

"Thank you, sir, um…if you don't mind me asking, why are going to Captain Flaga's base?"

"Well…there have been confirmed reports of pilots being killed from both ZAFT and EA while on patrol. I've volunteered to help Captain Flaga discover who this person is, and bring them to justice."

"I see…you just let me know if there's any way I can help."

"Yeah, there is…don't do anything to get yourself killed if you fight."

"I'll do my best, sir." And with that the pilots resumed piloting their crafts. After a few hours of silence, each pilots mobile suits began to speak.

"Attention, approaching rendezvous point with the _Excalibur_…linking communication systems, now." With a few flashes on the screen, the face of the ship's lieutenant appeared.

"Captain Yamato, good to have you with us. This is Lieutenant Branson, welcome to your new ship, the _Excalibur_…you to ZAFT Special Forces Natsuka." The man was an older gentleman, he was grey on his sideburns with but the rest of his hair was vivid black.

"Thank you lieutenant, we'll begin landing procedures now." Kira stated as he prepped his mobile suit to land in the ship's hangar, Hojiro did the same. As they flew in, they saw the full body of the ship, it was long and narrow with a small control deck (likely to make it harder to hit from a distance), it was also a nice shade of blue (going into a bluish silver on the trimming), it also had lohengrin cannons mounted on the sides of the ship along with a few other offensive and defensive systems, and when they looked at the top of the ship, Kira noticed something.

"Hm…they've made this ship compatible with the METEOR system, huh? Good, I might need it." He commented as he noticed the familiar platform resting near the bottom of the hull. A few seconds later, the duo landed safely in the hangar and left the cockpits. They where greeted by several of the crew members saluting them. They quickly returned the salute. Lieutenant Branson was waiting at the end of the "aisle" made by the crew in the hanger. Kira and Hojiro advanced towards the lieutenant and exchanged salutes.

"Welcome aboard, Captain. As of now, you are the superior officer on this ship, so…what are your orders, sir?" The older gentleman stated as he shook Kira's hand.

"Let's make our way towards Captain Flaga's base in sector 55-D at full speed, we need to get there ASAP…" was the young Captain's response.

"Yes, sir! Okay, gents, you heard the Captain's orders, let's move out…full speed ahead to sector 55-D!" Branson bellowed his command, immediately sending the crew into a "busy bee" type mode. "Don't worry, sir. My boys will have us there in no time. You two just relax in the control deck, you are free to walk around the ship if you'd like though."

"Thank you Lieutenant. But first, do you have a video conference room here?" Kira asked, remembering what he promised Lacus.

"We sure do, sir. Take staircase 'B' at the end of this hallway, and when you get down the steps, it's just pass the cafeteria, you can't miss it. Oh, and while we're at it, your quarters are just beyond that in room 'C-1', the room we have should any higher officer than myself should grace us with their presence…you'll find it's in tip-top shape. Here's the key to the room (he placed the key card in Kira's hand)."

"Great, thanks." With that, Kira walked down the steps he was pointed to and made his way to the conference room, he sat down in the big, comfy chair in the middle of the room. There was a dialing pad on the arm rest, he put in his house number and pressed "dial", starting the call. After it rang a few times, the call was answered.

"Hello, Yamato residence. Oh, Kira, it's you. So you made it alright then?" His wife answered the call, she smiled when she realized it was Kira who called. She was busy feeding Kazuki, who seemed a little fussy at the time.

"Hey, Lacus. Yeah, I'm fine…just calling to let you know we made it okay. Anyway, how are things at home?"

"Eh…okay, _I'm_ fine anyway, Kazuki must realize you've been gone longer than usual, becuase he's been acting a little temperamental. He calms down when he's being fed though, I think." She answered, she gave a puzzled look as she tried to understand her son's thoughts, his face was a little hard to read, it looked upset one second, then content the next. "Anyway, you be careful, alright? Oh, and don't forget to call when you get time."

"Alright, hon. I'll call you again before we make dock at Mu's base…which will take about two, three days from here. Then call you when we do arrive."

"Okay, see you then, love you."

"I love you to, Lacus. Bye." With that the screen went dark and Kira made his way to his quarters and began to unpack his things, while he was doing this, he was also going over battles of the past that he had fought, so he could prepare his mind for the fights that where sure to come on his venture to find the mystery pilot.

A/N: Well, Kira's made it to his new ship and is now making his way to Mu. Is he ready for the fights ahead though? You'll just have to find out, don't forget to RnR.


	7. Chapter 7: What Lurks in Space

Disclaimer: I'm back, and ready to update, lol. Anyway, I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny or anything like that (as if I haven't said that before, lol). Anyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy:

Chapter 7: What Lurks in Space

_61 days, 10 hours till "deadline"_

Kira finally finished unpacking and had placed everything in the drawers he deemed suitable to carry his various belongings: clothes, toiletries, a few books, and a picture of his family. It was taken not long after Lacus and Kazuki came home from the hospital, they where all on the balcony that had a view of the forest behind the house. The sun was setting in the background, giving the perfect scenery for the picture to take place. Lacus was sitting on a bench placed in the balcony, Kazuki sleeping while cradled in her arms and Kira was sitting right next to her, arm gently laid across her shoulder, the picture was taken just as the sun hit the horizon and he and his wife where caught having a small, but love-filled kiss, the sun had caused their faces to look almost like silhouettes when they were cast against its fading light. Everyone who saw it agreed it was a fantastic picture, which didn't surprise Kira, Miriallia (or Mir as he and his friends called her) had taken the photo on his request…she had a knack for such things. Lacus thought it was so good, she decided that it would make a wonderful Thanksgiving Card or something along those lines…Kira didn't mind, and so now, that is likely going to appear in all their friends' mail boxes around that time.

After he laughed to himself thinking about how his friends would react to a card like that, he finished putting on his clothes that he would wear on deck, a black T-shirt with grey jeans for pants. He then to make his way up to the control deck and after an hour or so of walking and inspecting the rest of the ship; he made it to the command deck and proceeded to enter.

The sliding door opened and a crew member nearby saluted and stated, "Captain on deck!" With that everyone stood up and saluted.

"As you where..." Kira answered as he returned the salute and sat down. Lieutenant Branson was next to him sitting in the control chair (this was because, despite Kira being the superior officer, this was still **his** ship and he was responsible to make decisions at a moments notice should anything come up…he meant no disrespect to the young Captain, and he knew that, being as he had seen a similar scenario when he was on the Archangel). Branson turned to Kira and was puzzled by what he saw.

"Um…sir, if you don't mind me asking…is there any reason why you are wearing somewhat...informal clothes?" The older gentleman asked, to which Kira just politely smiled.

"No, Lieutenant, I don't mind you asking. The reason is because we might run into some problems out here…and if we do, I'll be going out in the Strike Freedom. Wearing these clothes makes it easier to get into my flight suit, that's all."

"Ah, I see. That's right…you normally go out with your men in battles. Sorry for questioning, Captain."

"No need to apologize, glad you understand."

"Of course, sir…if only we had more officers like you, maybe ZAFT wouldn't have gotten so corrupt during the war. Besides, men are more willing to follow leaders who fight by there side, than those who sit back in the safety of a counsel chamber or something."

"I see…speaking of which, how many mobile suits do you have on this ship?"

"Well, besides the Strike Freedom and Mr. Natsuka's GuAIZ, we have five GINNs two DINNs, and one GuAIZ ourselves. We also have a highly trained pilot for every suit we have.

"Good. Thank you, Lieutenant. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to retire for the night. You let me know when you want me to take over though so you can sleep. Oh, and this ship does alert every room if we were to fall under attack, correct?"

"Of course it does, sir. Don't worry; I'll keep you posted through the night on our bearings and what not. Sleep well, Captain."

"Thank you, good night. Take it easy everyone. Also…remember to rest when it is your turn, I don't want you all to overwork yourselves." Kira gave a salute to the crowd of crewmembers in the room, who quickly returned the salute themselves.

"Good night, sir!" The all chimed, with that Kira returned to his chambers, before he entered his room though, he made his way to the break room, he was happy to see there was a hot cocoa machine, so he poured himself some and went to his room and climbed into bed, leaving his clothes on. He slowly sipped his warm beverage while reading one of the books he brought. After a few minutes though, he turned his reading lamp off and drifted to sleep.

_Back on the Command Deck:_

"Lieutenant Branson, you might want to listen to this." One of the crewmembers stated as he handed his earphones to his superior officer.

"What is it, soldier? Hm…alright, I see. I'll notify the Captain immediately." Branson calmly replied as he made his way to the video communicator.

_Back in Kira's quarters:_

The video link began to beep, and then finally revealed the face of the Lieutenant.

"Sorry to disturb you, Captain, but this is urgent." The gentleman spoke, waking Kira.

"Hmm? Oh, go ahead, Lieutenant. What is it?" The brunette began to rub his eyes to wake up.

"We've received a distress call from a nearby civilian transfer ship. What are your orders regarding this matter?"

"Change course to rendezvous with the ship, and perform a check up on my mobile suit."

"Yes, sir, right way." With that the screen went black. Kira quickly jumped out of bed and made his way to the hangar. He ran through the door and made his way to the locker room where he slipped into his flight suit. Afterwards he made his way to the Strike Freedom and climbed into the cockpit. When he sat down in the pilot's seat, he began to check the interior, everything was fine. The monitor came up revealing a face of a crew member.

"Sir, checks on the Strike Freedom are done, everything is A-Okay."

"Thanks. I'll go ahead and launch, I'll stay close to the _Excalibur_ while flying."

"Alright, good luck, sir." The man saluted as he pressed the button that opened the hangar doors.

"Thanks…Kira Yamato, Strike Freedom, heading out!" He activated his mobile suit's thrusters and flew out of the hangar in a blur. "Hopefully…it's nothing serious, but we won't know 'till we get there…" Kira sighed as he began to head in the direction of the distressed ship.

A/N: Alright, finally some MS action...he-he...maybe. What will Kira find when he gets to the ship? Find out by reading the next chapter, please RnR as well!


	8. Chapter 8: First Signs of Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or GSD, however this story is my idea, so please don't use it. Now please do enjoy and review:

Chapter 8: First Signs of Trouble

_60 days, 22 hours till "deadline"_

Kira flew out of the _Excalibur's_ hangar in the Strike Freedom and made his way to the front of the ship as they both made their way to the coordinates of the distressed civilian transport. When they finally arrived about ten minutes later, they saw the ship, it appeared to be in one piece, although it was beaten up a little bit.

"This is Lieutenant Branson calling Civilian Carrier _Adventure_, do you read me?" Kira heard the older gentleman's voice boom over the intercom.

"_kssssk_…this is the _Adventure_, we read you loud and clear. I'm the captain of this ship, Maria Lansford. Thanks for coming to get us, Lieutenant."

"You're quite welcome, missy. Now, is everything alright on board?"

"Yeah…everyone's fine, just a little shaken up is all. We do have a few senior citizens and children who might need to be looked at, just in case though, we were ruffed up."

"By what, Captain?"

"They appeared to be space pirates. They pulled out when we pressed the distress signal."

"I see, well…is your ship capable of movement?"

"Not much, we can turn the ship, but that's just about it, there isn't much power left, they must have hit a power supply while chasing us."

"Alright, I guess we'll just have to get you all aboard our ship. We're heading to sector 55-D, when we arrive we'll get you and your passengers a ticket home."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." With that the two ships lined up parallel with one another and all those aboard the _Adventure_boarded the _Excalibur_ and they were off. Kira, however, remained in flight, he couldn't shake the feeling that the space pirates were done. He was right…a few hours of flight soon proved this.

"Captain Yamato, we're picking up several mobile suits on radar a couple dozen clicks of the port side. It's approaching fast." The radar watchman notified as he made the discovery.

"Alright, I'm on it. Notify Mr. Natsuka." The young captain responded as he activated the thrusters and headed in the direction of the approaching suits. After a few minutes of flying in that direction he saw them, there were…seven, from what he could see. They were a myriad of mobile suits, three GINNs, three Strike Daggers, and one M1 Astray, they must have been pirated or bought from a black market, from what Kira could figure. He readied his Strike Freedom's beam saber and began his approach.

A GINN was the first to go, as Kira came within close proximity with the mobile suit, it drew its sword and swung at him, but the Strike Freedom proved to be too fast for the GINN and the MS wound up losing its head as a result…it must have all been a blur of pink to the pilot inside, but he'd be alright. Kira wasted no time and approached two Strike Daggers who had decided to stay close. The two Gundam looking MS units drew their blaster rifles and tried to shoot down the Strike Freedom, but Kira activated his arm mounted beam shields and repelled the shots, continuing his advance. He flew in between the two suits, slashing off the arm and head of the one to his right, flying past the one on his left. After a second or so he turned around and with precise accuracy shot the head off of the Strike Dagger he flew past with is own beam riffle. It was at this point that he began to pick up radio conversations from his opponents, likely because he was so close to them and they were sharing a similar frequency on the radio.

"_Ksssskk…_He's too fast for us. No one told us we'd be facing the Strike Freedom! Fall back!" He heard one of the pilots exclaim in disgust, then he saw the others make a b-line out of the vicinity, leaving the others who were defeated behind.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily…" Kira sternly spoke as he activated Strike Freedom's Full Burst Mode. The Super Dragoon Cannons were jettisoned from his mobile suit's back and began to orbit around the area. He targeted the remaining suits' heads and thrusters, signified by beeping on his computer's monitor, and pulled the trigger, causing the SD cannons to fire, creating an almost inescapable web of lasers. They had hit their mark, the pirates weren't going anywhere now. "Good…now, to take these guys back for questioning." Kira sighed as he grabbed two of the now inoperable MS's arms and began to drag them back to the Excalibur. It was then that Hojiro and another pilot from the _Excalibur_ flew up in their mobile suits, Hojiro in his GuAIZ, and the other pilot was in a DINN.

"Captain, are you alright?" Hojiro asked as his face came up on the monitors.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Help me get these guys to the ship so we can perform an interrogation."

"Copy that." The other pilot answered as he grabbed two of the downed MS units. Hojiro brought three with him, one in each arm and a third was being towed by his suit's grapple hook. They safely returned to the _Excalibur_ and the pilots of the pirated mobile suits were immediately apprehended and taken into custody. They could be seen with a disappointed look as they were taken into the interrogation room of the ship.

"Sir, do you think they were the ones who attacked those pilots?" Hojiro asked as he observed what was going on in the ship.

"No…they defiantly weren't the ones. The way they fought was…sloppy at best. Besides, I'm under the impression that it was one mobile suit." Kira responded as he sat down in a nearby chair.

"I see, but at least we've apprehended some space scum today, sir." Hojiro joked as he tried to lift up the spirits of his superior.

"Indeed we have…but we should still be on our toes. This is just the beginning…I can feel it. Good night, Hojiro."

"Good night, Captain."

With that, the two pilots left and returned to their rooms and slept for the rest of the night…which went by without any more disturbances.

A/N: Well, how was that for my first action sequence? Just curious, but what awaits them is more dangerous than mere space pirates. Please RnR.


	9. Chapter 9: Life At Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, or any thing related to that or any other Gundam franchise. However, this story is from my brain, so if you use it...well, let's just say you don't want to find out what will happen. Anyway, I'd like to apologize for the sad excuse for a fight that was the last chapter. I promise I'll work on that, but for now this chapter will shift the spotlight a little bit (kinda), anyway, enjoy:

Chapter 9: Life At Home

_60 days 14 hours till "deadline"_

_Yamato Mansion-around 10am:_

The head butler, Yori, walked up to the Yamato Mansion from his residence not too far away (in fact, it was still on the property). He lived in a rather nice home and the Yamato family took very good care of his own family and often treated them as kin, they kept the rent to a minimum and made sure he was happy with his job and taken care of, because he often did a splendid job making sure their house was in order, they just felt it was fair. He politely knocked on the door, there was no response.

"That's strange…it isn't like Ms. Lacus to not answer the door. I'll try again…" Yori thought out loud as he once again knocked. Like before, there was no response. "Okay, I guess I'll have to use my key." He pulled out his house key and opened the door. "Mrs. Yamato, are you home?" The older gentleman let his voice echo through the hallway. He heard no reply. "Hmm…maybe she's out. Well, better get started, the other workers will be here shortly. I have to check and see what needs to be done."

Yori began to scout the hallways and rooms for chores and other like things that might need some attending too, such as a dusty room or something of the like. After he checked the downstairs and made a mental note of what needed to be done, he made his way up the stairs to begin his routine inspection there. As he passed the master bedroom and noticed something…Lacus was still in bed. He walked into the room to see if she was alright, he observed that there was a picture of her and Kira in a quaint little frame on the pillow opposite the one she was resting her head on. He also noticed that her infant son was lying next to her, gently wrapped in his mother's arms. He then returned his attention to the lady of the house…her face appeared to be a little saddened, there where dark lines under her eyes and her face was slightly tear stained.

"Madam?" Yori softly spoke as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Lacus began to stir, then woke up. Her eyes were duller than usual; they didn't have that…shimmer that they normally did. "Good morning, ma'am. Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, good morning, Yori. Yes, I'm fine…thank you. What time is it?" Lacus asked as she sat up.

Yori looked at his watch, "It's…ten o'clock, Miss Lacus. Are you sure you're alright? It isn't like you to sleep in so late."

"I…just had a rough night is all. Thank you for your concern." Lacus put on a smile as she got out of bed, gently picking up Kazuki soon afterwards. Yori could tell something was amiss though.

"Pardon me asking, ma'am, but, is it something you'd like to talk about?"

"Not right now…I'm sorry, but please give me a few minutes."

"Of course…now, if you please excuse me, ma'am. I'll go ahead and take the liberty of fixing you and the little one some breakfast." The older gentleman bowed as he left the room.

"I appreciate it. We'll be down in a little bit." Lacus responded as she placed her son in his crib near the closet, of which she entered not long after so she could change into her clothes for the day. With that, the butler walked downstairs and began cooking. He made one of his personal favorites, fried apples, biscuits, and scrambled eggs. After he got everything started for his and Lacus's breakfast, he began to put together Kazuki's meal, baby formula. As he cooked, he notified the other butlers and maids that walked in of what needed to be done, and that they needed to do everything particularly well, for Lacus's sake, afterwards, they went straight to work. After about fifteen minutes, Lacus came down the steps and entered the kitchen, her son still fast asleep in her arms.

"Mmmm…what are you making?" Lacus inquired being as her nose was taken in by a tantalizing smell.

"I'm just making a simple breakfast that would be an easy fix, yet quite satisfying…eggs, fried apples, and biscuits. Would you like some?"

"That sounds great, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, please sit down and relax. It's almost done." The kind man politely recommended as he went back to work. The young lady complied and sat down at the table after she woke up Kazuki and placed him in his highchair. When she finished, she sat down and began to place her long, graceful hair into a pony-tail as she waited. After a few more minutes, Yori walked over to the table with a plate full of food and sat it in front of the woman, who gave a traditional thanks before eating.

A few minutes of silence passed before Yori spoke up, "Mrs. Yamato, are you feeling any better?"

"Oh, yes I am. Thank you." She cheerily smiled, but after a few seconds, that smile was no more and was replaced by look of concern that didn't do her angelic face justice. "Actually…" she continued, "I'm a bit worried, about Kira."

"Ah, so that's why you were tired this morning."

"Yeah…I couldn't sleep last night. I had a feeling that something was wrong."

"I understand your concern, madam…but I'm sure that your husband is fine. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he's among the best pilots I've ever seen. Anyone would be hard-pressed to end his life…in fact; I believe that the men he's working with are even safer with him flying with them…there's a higher power watching over him, that there is."

Lacus's face became a little more relaxed and pleasant as she listened to her butler. She gave a quaint little smile, "You're right, Yori. Thank you…you have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

"My pleasure, ma'am…glad to be of service." The older gentleman gave a polite smile as he removed the now finished plate of food and began to clean it. Not long after, one of the other servants walked in.

"Mrs. Yamato, your husband is waiting for you on video line one." The young man announced.

"Thank you, Charley, tell him I'm on my way." The 'pink haired-princess' thanked the boy, who bowed and left to notify his master that his wife was coming to the vid phone. Lacus's already uplifted heart soared when she heard that it was Kira. She stood up and made her way to the conference room and sat down. Not long afterwards, Kira's face came on the screen.

"Good morning, Lacus." The brunette smiled as he greeted his wife.

"Good morning, Kira, did you sleep well?" Lacus sweetly grinned as she inquired as to how her husband's night went.

A/N: Well, I felt I needed to put down something like that, so I did. Anyway, please RnR, even if it's to tell me that I'm a lunatic or something, lol.


	10. Chapter 10: A Dragon of Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED, or its sequal, I also don't own the characters, but this story is my idea, so don't use it, okay?

A/N: I am so sorry for not updating this...I feel absolutely awful...I didn't have any inspiration, but I found some today, so I went right to work. I hope you all enjoy, because I actually had fun writing this chapter, even if it is just plot, lol. Please review and let me know what you think about it, okay?

Chapter 10: A Dragon of Shadows

_55 days, 9 hours till "deadline"_

_One of the Outer Colonies:_

In one of the run-down buildings in an older, yet effectively functioning colony, there were people hustling about. They were performing tasks varying from basic maintenance and upkeep of the building, to moving packages and other like things. In the office room of the building, there was a man who was of big stature, and was "rotund" as well, his hair was black and slicked back. He was looking through some papers when another man entered the room.

"Boss, we've received reports that our pirating squad has been captured…the Strike Freedom was among the units that apprehended them." The slightly younger man spoke, and flinched a little when he finished speaking, being as he was anticipating a fit of rage from the large man, however when the fit didn't come, he relaxed himself. "Mr. Fujita, is something wrong?"

"No, leave me, and close the door behind you…I have some business to attend to." The big man replied as he waved away his underling.

"Of course…" The lackey respectfully bowed as he walked away and shut the door. Afterwards, Fujita pressed a button on the corner of his desk, and a video-communications screen came out of the wall to his right. The large man put a number in the number pad and turned to face the wall. A few seconds later, a face of a young man with slightly long, reddish brown, medium-length hair, purple eyes, and a serious expression came on the screen.

"Good afternoon…Mr. Ryuu. I have some news on our friend, Captain Yamato. It seems that you predicted his reaction to a 't', how'd you know that he was going to respond to your…work…with the patrol on the outer colonies?" Mr. Fujita inquired as he leaned back in his chair.

A sinister smile came on his face, "Heh, let's just say I know the Captain rather well. Do you happen to know his heading?" The mysterious young man inquired, his face changing to a somewhat more, friendly, albeit still chilling expression.

"Well, he captured our pirates that were in the 'D' quadrant, and the only military base there would be in the D-55 area. That seems to be where he would be headed, if he is indeed going to a military base." Fujita replied as he thought out the possible locations that could answer the mysterious fellow's question. "So, Ryuu…we've paid you a lot of money to…take care of the Captain, being as he's the only threat to our black market, but how can I trust you to pull through with **your **end of the bargan?"

As soon as the red-headed young man heard the question, he gave a glare that was as cold as death to the big man, "Believe me, '_Boss_', I didn't really need your **money** to give me the incentive to take the **Captain** down. I'd be happy to kill him with or without it, I'm just taking it because I know pathetic scum bags like you would pay through the nose to see him dead, and that is all!"

"Okay, okay…sorry…I'll take your word for it. So…what is it that you have against him?" The crime boss inquired, intrigued by the young man's obvious hatred for Kira, but this only caused Ryuu's glare to bore deeper into his soul, making him go into a cold sweat.

"That is…none of **your** concern. I will call you when I see fit, until then, worry about your self and your _precious _black market." The young man sternly answered as he ended the video call, leaving Mr. Fujita to sweat out his fear.

"…Who on earth…have I gotten myself tied to?" The large man nervously spoke as he wiped his brow in dread.

_With Ryuu, some remote colony in the 'E' sector:_

After finishing the conversation, Ryuu stood up from the chair he was sitting in and left the small room. He walked past a bedroom of sorts, then a kitchen, and finally to a stair-case that led downwards. _"Fool…he really has no idea who he's messing with…no matter, he's just about served his purpose, and then he will be none of my concern. Heh, at least I know where __**he**__ is now…that's all that matters."_ The young man angrily thought to himself as he descended down the stairs. Eventually, he came to a large set of doors, to which he put a number in to a key-pad near by, and the doors slowly opened, revealing a small hanger, and inside was one mobile suit. He looked up and gave a small grin as he examined the machine. The machine was Gundam style in design: it had the stereotypical Gundam head, only it was royal blue in color, as was its body, except for its chasse, which was silver, as were the joints for the elbows, knees, wrists and shoulders, it had also had eight wings that were black with thick silver trimming on the upper part of each one, the most interesting feature was that the wings were all connected at the time, and the first half of the wings near the back pointed down in a slant, then the latter half near the arms pointed upwards in a slant, creating a 'v' shape of sorts. It also had a medium sized blaster rifle in hilted on its back, two large cannons collapsed and folded with one on each hip, and four beam sabers with two on each hip. The eyes of the Gundam were blood-like in color, however they bore no life, being as the mobile suit was inactive.

After observing the mobile suit, Ryuu walked over to a rack that was holding a flight suit, which had white shoulders, then was black from below the white trimming down, except in the area around the chest, which was crimson. He put the flight suit on, then reached for a gun on the shelf above the rack and holstered it at his side, after which he made his way to the mobile suit and climbed up the pilot cable to the cockpit and climbed in. The young man put on his helmet, sealed it, and then began to input commands on the keyboard in rapid movements, causing the mobile suit to stir, after a few seconds, the monitor lit up with a message present on it: "ZGMF-X110 Oppression Gundam...READY."

"Let the game begin…Mr. Yamato…" Ryuu solemnly spoke as he pressed a button, causing a giant door to open above his mobile suit. After it had widened enough for the Oppression to fly out, Ryuu pulled back on the thruster controls, the Gundam activated its thrusters in response, quickly flew out the doors, and made its way towards the entry and exit point of the colony.

A/N: Who is Ryuu, and what **does** he have against Kira? Well, be sure to check this story when I update, okay? Be sure to review okay? Oh, and I'm sorry again about not updating...hope you all will forgive me...


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